A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to container forming machines that are utilized to form containers out of flattened blanks so that they may be filled with product. More specifically, the present invention relates to apparatuses and methods for transferring the flattened blanks from a hopper having a plurality of such blanks to the receiving station of a container forming machine. Even more specifically, the present invention relates to such feed apparatuses and methods that are utilized to feed flattened container blanks to a container forming machine from a hopper having an ergonomically-friendly feed position at or near ground level for the machine operator.
B. Background
There is an ever-increasing need for improved containers to hold commodities of various sizes, shapes and dimensions. As new products and packaging are developed, there is a need for new container designs, as well as machinery to manufacture or form the particular containers. In the packaging industry, many different designs of fiberboard containers have been developed over the years. The term “container” is used interchangeably in the industry with “box,” “case” and “package” to refer to a generally rectangular-shaped box-like object that is typically made out of a corrugated paperboard and configured to hold one or more products, including cartons, bottles, cans, meat or produce, therein. The container materials may be single face corrugated, single wall (double-faced) corrugated, double wall corrugated, triple wall corrugated and the like. Containers may also be made of other paperboard products including, without limitation, containerboard, boxboard, linerboard, and cardboard.
Modern product packaging systems are preferably configured to automatically and rapidly place products into containers with very little human interaction between the product and the container. The finished product is conveyed or otherwise delivered to a container conveyor system that conveys open containers to the location where the product is inserted into the container. Typically, the container and product is then further conveyed for insertion of other materials, such as written materials or packaging materials, and then the container is closed for delivery to its intended destination. For efficient container shipping and handling purposes, containers for the product packaging system are generally provided in a flat, folded condition. A plurality of the flat containers are placed in a hopper or magazine that is positioned near the beginning of the product packaging system. As a result, the first step in most product packaging systems is to retrieve one of the plurality of flat containers from the container hopper. The next step is to erect the container, typically utilizing an automated container forming machine, so as to place it in an open condition. The erected container is then conveyed to a position for insertion of the product.
Special box or container forming machines have been developed over the years to form different styles of boxes and cases. Such machines are generally configured in a vertical or horizontal arrangement, each with their own unique features and benefits. One of the primary benefits of vertically configured container forming machines is that they require significantly less floor space than horizontally configured machines. The primary disadvantage of the vertically configured machine is that the vertical arrangement of components results in the hopper being located well off of the floor.
A number of different container blank feeding systems and methods have been developed to move the blank into a position whereby it can be folded or formed to complete a process which results in a completed container. In most cases this operation is carried out by pushing the blank forward by means of a pusher bar or dog attached to either a chain or reciprocating mechanism. Some forming machines combine feed rollers with the reciprocating mechanisms whereby the blank is pushed forward into the nip of a pair or series of rollers, which in turn propel the blank forward into the folding position. These methods generally have one disadvantage in common, this being that the blank that is being fed reaches a stage where it is free falling as it passes in front of the forming tool or mandrel, as is the case with vertical forming machines, or carried by momentum during the final path of travel before coming to rest against a fixed stop, in the case of horizontal machines. This uncontrolled movement of the blank is generally inconsistent and, therefore, problematic as it can result in the blank not being correctly positioned prior to formation into the container. Unless additional mechanisms are fitted to the forming machines to prevent the uncontrolled travel of the blank, mis-formation of the box can occur resulting in box rejection and loss thereof. These additional mechanisms often cause an additional snag point that can interrupt the container's path of travel.
As stated above, a problem that is primarily particular to container forming machines which are disposed in a vertical configuration, as opposed to being arranged in a horizontal configuration, is that the blank hopper must be located above the receiving position of the container forming machine. As a result, the input to the hopper is located somewhat above the floor level, requiring a worker to place the blanks in the hopper using stairs, platforms or other types of devices to get above the hopper, which is well known to be very non-ergonomic. This problem is made worse by the relatively recent introduction of equipment to laminate and fold the blanks in the vertical plane prior to reaching the receiving position of the container forming machine, which further increases the height of the machine and the hopper. This makes the vertical container forming machine, in particular, very cumbersome and un-ergonomic for the worker. Even horizontal machines, which generally allow placement of blanks into the hopper to be performed at a lower level, are not always configured to allow the worker to stand on the floor and place blanks into the hopper at an ergonomically ideal level (i.e., for most people this is at waist level).
Apparatuses for retrieving and then erecting flat, folded container blanks from a hopper, magazine or other storage location are well known in the prior art. One type of apparatus has a rotary transfer mechanism, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,934 to Harston, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,537,587 to Langen and U.S. Pat. No. 5,997,458 to Guttinger, et al., that retrieves, erects and then conveys away the container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,965 to Mitchell, et al. discloses a machine for transferring and erecting cardboard package blanks that has a vacuum head rotatably mounted on the end of an elongated arm that pivots up and down about a fixed pivot to pick a flat blank from an above-disposed hopper and place the erected blank on a conveyor. U.S. Pat. No. 5,573,490 to Steinbrenner, et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,231 to Dietrich, et al. disclose a method and apparatus for erecting a folding box that has a transfer device comprising a three-armed rotor having suction holders at the ends thereof that withdraws the box blanks from an above-disposed magazine. U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,149 to Boldrini discloses a method and unit for feeding blanks to a machine wherein two pickup heads withdraw blanks, by suction to a flat surface of the head, from their respective above-disposed hoppers and feed them into conveying pockets on a conveyor system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,123 to Ehring, et al. discloses an apparatus for transferring flat boxes that comprises an above-disposed hopper from which a single box is obtained by a plurality of suction systems with suction heads that are each coupled to separate drive mechanisms that revolve the suction heads about a closed path. In contrast to the above, U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,671 to Reuteler discloses a carton feeder assembly that has the supply magazine substantially at the conveyor level so the operator can readily stack flat cartons onto the carton supply conveyer. The carton selector portion of the machine includes a pair of feeder wheels with suction devices that move along a linear pick line as the wheels rotate to apply suction to the selected carton. None of the foregoing and nothing known in the prior art discloses a feed apparatus and method effectively and efficiently feeds container blanks into vertically configured container forming machine that does not require the operator to place the blanks into a hopper positioned above the receiving station of the container forming machine.
What is needed, therefore, is a new feed apparatus and method for feeding container blanks into the receiving station of a container feeding machine that allows the operator to place the blanks into a hopper at a more ergonomically comfortable level, such as at or near the worker's waist level. The preferred feed apparatus and method should interact with the hopper at or near waist level to retrieve and deliver one container blank at a time to the receiving station of the forming machine that will open or unfold the container. The preferred feed apparatus and method should be configured for controlled delivery of the blank to the container forming machine so as to not allow the blank to free fall or move freely along its path. The preferred feed apparatus and method should be configured to use laminating and folding components to laminate and fold the blank prior to it reaching the receiving station of the container forming machine. The preferred feed apparatus and method should also be adaptable for use with a wide variety of container forming machines, including vertically and horizontally arranged container forming machines.